1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a moving-unit type developing method and an apparatus for performing the method.
2. Prior Art
In prior art, a device wherein a single developing unit is moved along under side of a roll (which is to be made into a printing plate) so as to successively perform a heat treatment (which accelerates a setting reaction of exposed portions of photosensitive film on the roll), an alkali developing treatment, a washing treatment and a drying treatment onto the roll has not been known on the market.
Conventional developing and treatments before and after developing are performed in the following manner: first, a roll that is to be made into a printing plate is left as is for approximately 30 minutes after exposure so as to promote a setting reaction of exposed areas on the photosensitive film. Then, an alkali developing treatment, that uses alkali solutions, is performed onto the roll via a shower type alkali developing device, the roll is washed via a shower type washing device so as to remove alkali solutions. After this, the water used for the washing and adhering to the surface of the roll is cleaned manually.
However, such a conventional developing technique has some problems: (1) The entire apparatus line occupies a large space. (2) Many number of component devices are required, which results in the manufacturing costs proportionally high. (3) The shower type alkali developing treatment causes fringe area to be larger, approximately 10 microns. (4) If a plurality of rolls that are to be made into printing plates are distributed to respective component devices and treated thereby, it is difficult to control the processing time of each device. (5) When one roll plate has gone through one treatment step (e.g., alkali developing treatment) and sent to the next treatment step (e.g., washing treatment), a development destabilization may occur if the plate roll needs to wait for treatment because of the next processing means (washing device) that is engaged in its own treatment process onto the previously provided roll. (6) A cleaning step to remove the washing water is inevitable.